In Paris, style, attention to detail and the art of living well are infused into the everyday - from the gorgeous display in a florist shop window to the exquisite packaging of a strawberry tart. This culture of beauty and elegance extends to all corners of life and makes it possible to drink in the very essence of Paris without opening your purse. There's something to catch your breath on every street so button up your trench and get walking! I still think it's the best way to see Paris, and it doesn't cost a centime.There are loads of things to do ...
The Best Time to Visit Paris
During the past week or so I have been ridiculously busy, and with not enough hours in the day I have welcomed the solitude of the wee hours to work on the final edit of my upcoming book. With my head full of France, how could I not take a bit of time out to book a flight to Paris?While I was planning dates for my trip, it occurred to me that rarely a week goes by without someone asking me, 'When is the best time to visit Paris?' The answer is not a simple one. A host of things must be ...
French Cheese Tips & Etiquette
When my mind turns to Paris, I can think of nothing more enjoyable that unwrapping an oozing slice of perfectly-ripe cheese, slathering it on a fresh baguette, baked bien cuit with a crackling crust, and pouring a glass of red wine. For cheese enthusiasts like me, it represents pure joie de vivre. Fromageriesare sprinkled in every quarter of the city and stopping to buy a cheese or two for dinner is a part of everyday life. Step inside and you'll find a mind-boggling array of seasonal delights from tiny logs of soft, creamy chèvre to giant wheels of farmhouse Saint-Nectaire. Often, you'll bump into big bowls of thick, ...
On Deleted Scenes of Paris
So very often as a writer I reluctantly pull back text that I'm attached to in order to make it fit snugly on the pages, or to comply with a tight word count for an article in a travel magazine. Mostly, these extra words are superfluous to the story and sadly, have to go, whether interesting or not. Over the past few days I have been so absorbed working on an edit that I wondered what on earth I was going to blog about this week until it suddenly occured to me that, in fact, I have a growing pile of material that has never seen the light of day.A lot of ...
On Dreaming of a pied-à-terre in Paris
June is going to be a very busy month for me. The deadline for a major edit on my upcoming Paris book is just a couple of weeks away (no, I can't tell you any more just yet), I have just started a new job and sold my rambling stone villa, and I really must get packing! Finding somewhere to live is also on the 'to do' list and I have recently spent hours scrolling through the real estate pages on the internet and going to open inspections in search of a smaller place. I have clicked on contemporary apartments ...
On The First Lick of Spring
While here in Adelaide the leaves are starting to turn shades of crimson and gold and markets brim with autumn produce, in Paris, April heralds the first glimpse of spring. Parisians shake off the weight of their heavy coats, and on the street is a sense of celebration and renewal. The length of the cold, dark winter only heightens this feeling of rebirth and lightness, and makes springtime all the more precious. My friends in Paris tell me that this winter has been particularly long with lots of snow, the most since 1945.Printemps (spring) may throw off the cloak of ...
On a belle parfumerie française
Roaming the crooked streets of the Marais on a recent trip to Paris, I stumbled across the most adorable little boutique with a lipstick-red façade. Tucked on the sleepy Place du Marché Sainte Catherine, Marie Antoinette is filled with rare perfumes and wonderful scents. For an original gift, these treasures are far more interesting than anything you can pick up duty free or in a Parisian department store. Just as charming is the store’s owner, Antonio de Figueiredo, a passionate man who loves perfume and loves what he does. His store is all about a return to authenticity, elegant products ...